Active Advisories

Certain areas of the park will be closed to the public on Feb. 14 through Mar. 15 for special wildlife surveys. Closed areas will be signed during the survey periods, typically occurring Monday through Thursday.

Areas affected are:
-- the entirety of Wilderness Trail

Anyone planning to backpack Wilderness Trail should avoid these dates. Firearms may be used in the closed areas, so visitors in the remainder of the park may hear this activity.

The Wilderness Trail is under an open burn ban until further notice. The open fire ban includes prohibiting campfires and other open fires (i.e. tiki torches, citronella candles, etc.). Contained camp stoves such as gas and cook top stoves are allowed under the open fire ban.

Missouri’s forests are being threatened and you can help protect them. The emerald ash borer (EAB), an exotic beetle that has killed millions of ash trees in the northern, central and eastern United States, has been found in Missouri. The spread of EAB and other destructive forest pests has been .....